


Legacy

by RedHoodieAndTheOutlaws



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics), Injustice: Gods Among Us
Genre: Angst, Damian is Batman, Everyone has issues with Damian in some way, Injustice 2 - Freeform, Jason being vengeful, M/M, Tim wasn't even there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-19
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-04 04:04:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11547114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedHoodieAndTheOutlaws/pseuds/RedHoodieAndTheOutlaws
Summary: Batman's death left many shocked, but most of all Damian. Now he's convinced that he has to carry on his father's legacy by becoming Batman.Jason isn't particularly happy with Damian. He killed Nightwing, and now he was replacing his father? Who does this kid think he is?Tim was away during Brainiac's attack. He knows Damian's not to blame, at least not completely. He wants to help Damian, but he can't even begin to imagine how.Jon is worried for Damian. Being Batman isn't as fun as it sounds. The mantle comes with its own set of demons that Damian may not know how to handle. But helping him won't be easy. Either way, he's willing to help and stay by Damian's side.Kara's still getting over Superman's turn to evil. Whether he knows it or not, that's what he is now. Evil. Barbara's willing to help her through the pain. After all, she's pulled herself through worse.With Nightwing dead, Wally has let his own despair consume him. If he's not careful, he could end up doing something terribly stupid because of it. And that's exactly what Barry is afraid of.(Based on Damian's ending in Injustice 2)





	1. What I've done

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter is mostly just exposition and setting things up. I haven't actually finished the game, but I've seen all the endings. So if I've gotten something incorrect, don't hesitate to let me know. Chapter titles will be named after songs. Hope you people like this :)
> 
> Song in the title: https://youtu.be/8sgycukafqQ

Until now, Damian hadn't appreciated what the bat symbol truly meant. But when Batman sacrificed his life for him, he realized that maybe there was more to his father than he previously thought. 

Damian hadn't grown up under his father's rules, so they were often at a disagreement. Bruce tried his best to instill his moral code into him, and for a while it seemed to be working. But when they had another spat, things quickly went downhill. Namely, Damian joined Superman's regime. His main goal in that was getting back at his father. 

But that all changed once he saw the blood splattering Batman's suit. The bright red against the black of the symbol brought Damian back to his senses.

Now that Bruce is gone, he knows what he has to do. He has to carry on the legacy of Batman. Gotham needs Batman, and Damian was the only one who could take his place. Red Hood would never be the Batman Gotham needed, and Nightwing was dead. Damian's heart ached at that thought. 

While he was a part of Superman's regime, he had been the one to kill Nightwing. He hadn't meant to do it, but he wasn't any less to blame for it. Of all his adopted siblings, Nightwing had been his favorite. It was because of that that he constantly berated himself for killing him. 

The only way to make up for everything, Damian felt, was to carry on his father's legacy. So he found another of Batman's suits to wear. He decided against wearing the one Batman died in as a way of honoring him. If he remembered correctly, Tim had done something similar when he took Jason's place as Robin.

The night Damian first went out as Batman, no one really paid him much attention. He did his best to impersonate Bruce's voice. He needed to make it seem like nothing happened to Batman, like Bruce was still Batman. The citizens of Gotham didn't need to know that their fearsome protector was gone. So far, his attempts seemed successful. No one seemed to notice any changes. Which was good. 

Commissioner Gordon, however, seemed to notice instantaneously. For whatever reason, he didn't comment on it to Damian. He continued working with him as if he were Bruce.

So for a while, no one bothered Damian. He was carrying on the legacy of Batman, and that's all that really mattered to anyone.

0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0

Jon was constantly on surveillance. After his father killed the Joker and started his regime, the other heroes were more wary of him. In a way, he understood. They just didn't want him to end up like Superman.

Though to say it wasn't a bit annoying would be a lie. If anything, Jon was the least likely to end up like that. He didn't see them watching Conner. Or even Kara. Maybe it was because they weren't as close to Superman as Jon. After all, he was his son, and both Conner and Kara had their problems with Superman at some point or another. Jon was really close to his father for a long time. Where had that all gone wrong? If his father hadn't killed the Joker, they wouldn't be in this mess. But there was no use in wishful thinking.

He heard about how Damian killed Brainiac, and how Batman had died to save him. Multiple times, Jon tried to call Damian to give his condolences. Not a single time had Damian answered. It hadn't taken him long to figure out why. Jon was many things, but an idiot wasn't one of them.

When Batman showed up again in Gotham, he knew it was Damian. With Bruce dead, of course he'd want to become Batman. It was such a Damian thing to do. Jon was slightly concerned though. There's a reason Bruce didn't want anyone else talking over the mantle. It came with a lot of sacrifices. That's what his father told him anyway. Back when he was still good.

He just hoped Damian would be able to handle being Batman for however long he had to. Jon had a feeling he'd try to everything on his own like Bruce had. Damian wasn't exactly keen on teamwork while being Robin, so who was to say being Batman would be any different?

0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0

While Brainiac had tried to take over Earth, Tim had been elsewhere. Before Brainiac showed up, Batman had sent him to help the Question with one of his conspiracy theories. As usual, Huntress was with Question.

There wasn't anything out of the ordinary about Question’s investigation. It was mostly just another drug bust. By the time Tim finished helping out, the world was in a bit of a panic. Especially within the superhero community.

Word quickly spread to him that Brainiac was attacking, slowly trying to take whole cities for himself. Similarly, it hadn't taken long for Tim to hear about Bruce's death. It hit him hard just having to hear it. Attending his funeral only made it that much more real for him. 

The Leaguers were among the few who attended. Batman had been an important part of the Justice League after all. 

He hadn't expected to see Damian at the funeral. After his fall out with Bruce, he'd avoided his father completely, even going as far as to join Superman’s regime. Tim recalled Stephanie's explanation of how Bruce sacrificed himself for his only biological son. 

He knew how Damian was. No doubt he was internally blaming himself for Bruce's death. Damian had a great record of internalizing his doubts and true feelings. Tim considered confronting him. Even though he had left the Bat family for Superman, the least Tim could do was console him, reassure him that he wasn't at fault. But Damian would never accept his sympathy. He was too stubborn and withdrawn to ever accept it. After all, this wasn't the first tragedy he's faced.

Instead, Tim let Damian deal with his emotions in his own way. He wasn't sure if that would be any better, but it seemed like the best way to handle the situation. He'd respect Damian's boundaries.

Traitor or not, Damian was still his brother. If avoiding him would help, Tim was prepared to do so. Despite their constant fighting, he still cared about Damian.

So when Damian took the mantle of Batman straight on, he knew there was going to be a problem.

0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0

Jason hadn't exactly maintained a great relationship with his former adoptive father after his death. How could he when Bruce had let that murderous clown live despite what he's done? 

Nonetheless, he was a bit dismayed to hear about the old man's death. And all to save the demon spawn, Damian Wayne? Who was to say he deserved it? Killing Nightwing should have been a sign enough that Damian wasn't to be trusted.

True, Jason and Dick weren't necessarily close, but he didn't deserve to die. He was everything Jason couldn't be, and that he could at least respect. Dick always stuck to his moral code because he believed in it just like Bruce. Jason's own beliefs conflicted theirs, but they were all aiming for a common goal. 

He almost couldn't bring himself to attend Bruce's funeral. In the end, he went because Bruce deserved that much. He would be lying if he said he'd felt even a little bit troubled during the service. Was this what it had been like for Bruce to bury him? Had it broken his heart this much? Jason felt like he was starting to understand now. Unlike Bruce, however, he wouldn't let this opportunity slip. Bruce deserved justice, and Jason could most certainly guarantee it.

It took all his willpower not to confront Damian right then and there. But he reminded himself to wait. Another opportunity would present itself. Damian was the target of his anger as of now.

0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0

First Nightwing, and now Batman. As if Dick's death hadn't been enough! Wally couldn't process all the death happening around him. When Dick died, he started to fall apart from the inside. His heart couldn't handle the grief. And now Dick's adoptive father was six feet under, too. 

The common link in both deaths? Damian Wayne. The fifth Robin. But try as he might, Wally couldn't blame him for anything. He knew Dick cared about Damian and would have forgiven him. Batman had sacrificed himself for Damian, meaning his son wasn't to blame. If Batman was willing to die for him, how bad could he really be? Damian had to have some redeeming qualities, right?

Either way, the weight on Wally's shoulders after both deaths was weighing him down. His Uncle Barry had taken notice. He was most definitely concerned for his nephew. Wally was most likely to do something irrational as a result of his depressed state. He was known to jump in without thinking, especially if Dick Grayson was involved. The two were best friends and nearly inseparable. He'd have to keep an eye on Wally in case he tried something stupid.

0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0

How had Kara failed to bring Clark back to his senses? Reasoning with her cousin hadn't gone nearly as well as she'd hoped. Even after Brainiac had been killed, Clark couldn't be swayed. He was determined that what he was trying accomplish was the only cause that mattered. 

He'd managed to regroup and gather some followers. Kara had really tried, honestly. But Clark could not be stopped. Was there really no saving him? 

She got a heavy feeling in her heart just thinking about it. Kara sought the help of her friend, Oracle, to guide her through her despair. If anyone was good at handling hopeless situations, it was Oracle. Being in a wheelchair hadn't nearly stopped Oracle from helping the heroes. She was strong despite everything. She was more than willing to help Kara come to terms with Clark's tyrannical personality.

How had Kara found such a strong, willing friend? She didn't feel like she deserved Oracle's compassion. Every once in a while, when neither of them were busy busting the bad guys, they'd get together for a pseudo therapy session of sorts. 

If Kara couldn't help her cousin, maybe she could learn to accept clashing with him from time to time. She was willing to give it a shot.


	2. Confident

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clarify, I'm making Damian 16 and Jon 13. Also, I based a lot of Damian's tech and moves off Batman's in the Arkham Series.
> 
> Song in the title: https://youtu.be/cwLRQn61oUY

Police sirens sounded from the streets below. In the sky, the familiar glow of the bat signal grabbed Damian's attention. He was needed. From his utility belt, he pulled a grappling gun and aimed for a building to his left. He raced to the location of the bat signal and found Commissioner Gordon waiting for him.

Damian swiftly landed beside him. The older man had looked calm and collected as he usually did. “Glad to know this old thing’ll grab your attention just as well as it did his,” the commissioner said. Gordon knew this Batman was not the same one he normally worked with, but whatever the case, he didn't bother asking. 

“Get to the point, Commissioner. Don't waste my time,” Damian said harshly. He was very straight to the point, wasn't he?

“Geez. Just as bad as the last one. No manners,” Gordon whispered under his breath. “Alright, fine. I'll get down to it. Earlier today, a squad of mine overheard an exchange between a group of thugs. Something about a deal down at the docks.” Commissioner Gordon began pacing. “There wasn't anything we heard about who the deal was between. All we know is that it can't be anything good.”

A drug deal of some sort? This Damian could handle easily. Drug deals happened every day in Gotham. “Alright, I'll check it out and report back to you as soon as I know something.” Damian turned and fired his grappling gun. He disappeared without the commissioner noticing.

“I meant to ask you, what ever-” He turned to find Damian was gone. “Honestly, I can't finish one conversation with Batman. New or otherwise.” He huffed in annoyance, but let out a chuckle despite himself. “Some things never change.”

By now, Damian was halfway to the docks. He was making good time. He was already formulating a plan in his head. Confident in his strategy, Damian landed on the roof of a building across from the docks. He pulled out a set of binoculars and watched from a distance. A large group of thugs were gathered, and leading them was Scarecrow. Scarecrow? This couldn't be good. If Scarecrow is involved, this wasn't some drug deal. 

Damian stashed the binoculars and dropped down from the roof silently. He got as close as he could without giving away his position. Scarecrow’s voice reached him loud and clear from yards away.

“There's no room for error. If we mess this up, we may never get another shot. At least not for a while.” He easily had everyone's attention over something. “With the big bad Bat gone, we have our chance to paint this town in our own image.” Damian scoffed. Scarecrow was there during Brainiac's attack and had seen Damian kill him. Him knowing about Batman's death was to be expected. Damian quickly dropped down behind Scarecrow. 

The thugs surrounding Scarecrow froze in fear. A few of them frantically gestured behind him, trying to point out Damian. “Guess you heard wrong. There's a new Batman in Gotham now.” Scarecrow stopped and slowly turned to face him. His eyes widened in surprise at seeing Batman.

“Well, look who came back from the dead. Let me guess, Batman's brat, right? Robin or something.” Damian remained stoic. 

“I thought you said Batman was dead,” a thug exclaimed. 

“He is. This isn't him. What do you boys say we show birdbrain some good ol’ Gotham hospitality?” A screen of green smoke clouded Damian's vision. Thinking quickly, he held his breath while he frantically searched his utility belt for a rebreather. Feeling it brush against his gloved hand, Damian quickly puts it in his mouth, taking in a whiff of oxygen.

There wasn't a sign of Scarecrow or his thugs anywhere. He pushed a small button on his gauntlet, which activated an x-ray view of everything around him. It scanned for any signs of humans. About thirty yards away was a warehouse that was housing a large group of people. That must be them. 

Damian took off in that direction. He noticed an open window above the door that could be useful. It would be the safest way to get in undetected. For the third time tonight, Damian pulled out his grappling gun and fired at the window. When the hook latched on, he let it reel him upwards. He fired at a rafter and pulled himself onto it. 

As he listened, the hushed voices of Scarecrow's men alerted Damian to their presence below him. “You think he found us yet?”

“I don't know, but I'm not liking this. Not one bit.”

“Quiet, you idiots!” Someone whisper-yelled. That sounded like Scarecrow. “Do you want him to hear you?” That shut everyone up real quick. Damian smirked to himself. Whether they were talk or not, he'd still be able to find them in the darkness. He reactivated the x-ray view. The outline of people suddenly became visible to him through his cowl. 

Damian switched rafters, still remaining utterly silent. He positioned himself above a criminal. In a split second, Damian had a wire wrapped around the man's ankles. The criminal yelped as he was pulled up to the rafter and left dangling. 

“What was that?”

“Crap! He's here! I don't wanna die!” One by one, they were all picked off until only Scarecrow remained.

“Give it up, Crane. You won't win this one.” Damian's voice echoed throughout the warehouse, bouncing off the steel walls. Scarecrow didn't seem the least bit fazed. 

“Come on down here and fight me then. We both know you're not the real Batman, kid.” With expert aim, Damian tossed a smoke bomb right at him. Then, while his enemy was temporarily blinded, he swung down from the rafter and decked Scarecrow right in the face. 

Scarecrow stumbled back, his head reeling and his vision blurry. “You're right. I'm not the real Batman. However, I'm just as dangerous as he was.” Damian flung a batarang in his direction. Attached to it was a cable to tie up Scarecrow. 

Damian used his communicator to radio Commissioner Gordon. “Commissioner, come in. This is Batman.”

Gordon's voice came in through static. “Batman, got something already?” He looked down at a daze Scarecrow.

“More than just something. I caught Scarecrow trying to plot something, out here at the docks. I'm not sure what, so I'll hand him over to you for questioning.” Gordon said his thanks and left the communicator silent. Damian picked up Scarecrow, tossing him over his shoulder. 

After turning him in to the GCPD, Damian went back to patrol mode. He stopped a robbery over in the Upper West Side, then cornered a hijacker on Trigate Bridge. Otherwise, crime was mostly at a minimum. 

Damian sat at the edge of a building, carefully remaining vigilant. It was quiet until Damian felt the telltale feeling of someone behind him. “Hello, Jon. So nice of you to drop by.” He saw a red cape from the corner of his eye as Jon sat next to him.

“Dami...I mean, Batman. Nice to see you out and about as usual. You catch any bad guys tonight?” Damian looked over at his friend who had a goofy, yet genuine, smile on his face. 

“Just Scarecrow and some petty criminals. Nothing I can't handle.” Jon's eyes widened in shock.

“Scarecrow? You took him down alone? Are you okay? You didn't breathe in any fear toxin, did you?” He continued to ramble much to Damian's displeasure. While he was secretly glad Jon was worried, he couldn't help but roll his eyes.

“As you can see, I'm perfectly fine. Nothing is broken, I'm not bleeding, nor am I having delusions. I'm fine.” Red tinted Jon's blue eyes, an indication that he was doing a once-over of Damian with his x-ray vision. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Jon let out a sigh of relief. His friend was fine, thankfully. 

“You're lucky you're not injured,” Jon said with a light chuckle. “I'd have some words for you. Unpleasant ones.”

Damian scoffed. “Tt, as if that's ever stopped me.” Jon's expression turned serious again.

“That's why I worry you. You're too headstrong and independent. You know, it's okay to ask for help, right?” Damian gave him a blank stare. 

“Yes, but I don't need help. I've always done fine on my own, and this won't be any different.” Damian jumped to his feet and pulled out his grappling gun. “I'll show you and everyone doubting me.” Without another word, he swung off into the night.

“That's what I'm afraid of,” he whispered, his words lost to the wind.


	3. The only difference between martyrdom and suicide is press coverage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song in the title: https://youtu.be/KYcLqZ5XlsQ
> 
> Such a long title, gosh.

After everything Jason's been through, Nightwing’s death was a sore subject for him. Mentioning his own death was one thing, but having to deal with someone else's was a lot harder. He also couldn't understand how he was the only one who was truly mad at Damian for killing Nightwing. How could he just be so easily forgiven? He may not have been there when it happened, and didn't know the specifics, but murder is still murder. 

If it was up to him, Jason would have already thrown Nightwing into the Lazarus pit by now. He knew the repercussions, though. Never would he do that knowing Nightwing may not come back out the same. He was a witness to that. Coming back from being dead hadn't made Jason any less messed up. No, he couldn't do that to Nightwing. But he could avenge him. 

Just a few days ago, Scarecrow was thrown into Arkham Asylum. He was willing to bet that was Damian's doing. To say that Damian was doing terribly as Batman would be a lie. In fact, you wouldn't even notice someone else was taking Bruce's place. Not unless you knew him well enough.

That didn't make up for it, though. What was even worse was that Tim, the one person he thought would be on his side, was doing nothing to help. When Jason visited Tim, he made it quite clear that he disagreed with Jason. Tim seemed fine letting Damian be. 

“How can you not be angry about this? He killed Dick, Tim!” Jason's helmet was hanging from his hand. He glared at the back of Tim's head since he wasn't looking at Jason. Instead, his attention was mainly on the laptop on the coffee table. 

“Because I, unlike you, understand the full situation. Neither of us was there, but I have more credible information than you.” Tim finally looked up from the screen. “You, however, refuse to hear anything other than what you want to hear. You're letting your anger get the better of you, Jason.”

Yep, that definitely sounded like Jason. Tim's words didn't really seem to get through to him. Jason was just to angry to listen to reason right now. Calling someone's murder an accident didn't sit well with him. It didn't help any that Jason just didn't get along with Damian. It wasn't the killing that bothered him. That would be hypocritical. No, it was that Damian was way too overconfident and seemingly arrogant. For all Jason knew, Damian's claim of anything being an “accident” is probably a lie. He couldn't trust the kid as far as he could throw him. As strong as Jason may seem, that wasn't very far. 

“I’m not letting anything get the better of me. I don't see how you can believe that brat.” Tim went back to looking at his laptop. “Tim, the kid was raised by Talia and Ra’s Al Ghul. With the things they taught him, he could have you believe anything.” Tim scoffed.

Once again, his gaze was set on the screen instead of Jason. “You're one to talk. If I remember correctly, and I do, you were trained by the League when you came back.” Tim stopped typing and closed the laptop. “Actually, if it weren't for Talia, you'd still be a zombie or something.” Jason would admit that Tim was right, just maybe not out loud. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

“You're right, Timmy. You always are.” Jason chuckled. “You're always right, as much as I hate to admit it. It's just...I can't help making this a big deal. Bruce's moral code made it hard for him to avenge me, and I don't want that for Dick. He deserves better than that.” 

Tim frowned. Jason really was a good man when he wanted to be. He understood that Jason just wanted to help. He didn't get the vengeance he felt was necessary, and therefore someone else should. Tim's heart dropped at the thought of Jason being so upset by his own death that he couldn't let Dick's go unavenged. 

“You're right, he does deserve better. But this...whatever you're planning...it's not the answer. There's better ways to handle this.” Jason didn't seem convinced. He placed his helmet on his head and went off towards the window. 

“I know. I just can't let this go. I'm sorry, Tim.” Then he jumped out the window and disappeared. 

Tim let out a deep sigh. He was starting to think he was the only reasonable person left in his dysfunctional family. Speaking of reasonable people, maybe Barbara could talk some sense into Jason. It seemed that Tim hadn't done much good. 

He pulled out his phone and speed dialed Barbara. On the third ring, she picked up.

“Hey, Tim. What's up?”

“Do you think you could try talking to Jason?” Tim heard her sigh on the other end.

“Is he still after Damian?” She asked in an exasperated tone.

“'fraid so. I couldn't get through to him. Maybe you can.” Barbara went quiet for a second like she was thinking.

“I'll try my best. I can't guarantee he'll listen, though.”

“I only ask that you try.” He hung up and set the phone on the table. He flopped back onto the couch and stared up at the ceiling. Dealing with Jason was frustrating, but he was more than willing to help. He just wanted to keep Jason out of trouble whenever possible. Why, he wasn't sure. If anything, he shouldn't care what Jason decides to do, but he did. 

Tim grabbed the couch pillow from behind his head and screamed into it. In frustration, he threw the pillow at the window Jason had jumped through and yelled, “Screw you emotions!” Tim huffed and stomped off to the kitchen. Maybe some coffee would calm his nerves, even if only a little bit. Besides, he had work to do, and sleeping would only delay what needed to be done now.


	4. This love, this hate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song in the title: https://youtu.be/XpAeG5s0Bj4

Barbara sat at the console she had set up in her base of operations, the Clock Tower. As soon as Tim ended their call, she began working on tracking both Damian and Jason. Standing behind her was Kara.

 

“So what? Jason's got a bone to pick with Damian?” Kara asked. Barbara's fingers typed away at incredible speed rivaled only by a speedster. 

 

“It seems so. Jason hasn't really been able to let go of what he did to Dick.” With a beep, a red dot appeared on a map of the city. There was Damian down at the pier.

 

“I don't see why he should let go. I mean, maybe this isn't the way he should handle it, of course.” The second dot that  appeared on screen signalled that they'd found Jason. “Maybe he needs to channel his negative energy somehow.” 

 

Barbara tapped into Jason's comms, ready to stop him the second he gets close to Damian. 

 

“Probably, but Jason won't let us talk him out of anything. The rest of us have moved on from Dick's death, and as much as we miss him, blaming Damian won't bring him back.” Barbara realized that from the beginning. Considering her history with him, of course she was upset at first. Despair that, she learned to move past it, not to let it consume her.

 

Jason's position on the map was alarmingly close to Damian's. She spoke into his comms, hoping to dissuade him. “You should turn around while you have the chance.” 

 

Jason responded with a determined and angry tone. “Like hell I will. I'm seeing this through to the end.”

 

_ Hard-headed as ever, I see. _

 

Kara got closer and tried her hand in reasoning with him. “Jason,, this is serious. You need to think this through.” Jason scoffed. According to the tracker, he hadn't stopped once since they contacted him.

 

“So much for no names in the field,  _ Kara _ . And I already have thought this through. Down to the every bone of his I'm going to break.” Before either girl could interject, Jason turned off his comms and continued on.

 

“Damn.” Barbara had to stop him somehow before things got too serious. Kara, do you think you can fly in and stop him?” 

 

“Say no more.” In the blink of an eye, Kara was gone in a blur of red and blue. Faster than a speeding bullet seemed like an understatement.

 

When Barbara looked back at the console, another red dot appeared on the city map. In a matter of seconds, it has moved from the Clock Tower to the Jason's position near the pier. Hopefully Kara could do better Tha. Barbara.

 

“How are things going on this end?” Tim’s footsteps echoed throughout the tower as he stood next to her. 

 

“Not nearly as well as I'd like them to. I had to send Kara to mediate, but I have a feeling things are going to get physical very quickly.”

 

Tim watched the three flashing dots with curiosity. It seemed Jason and Kara had already reached Damian. 

 

“If it'll keep both of those idiots alive, by all means. Kara can hit them all she likes. Maybe then Jason will gain some common sense.” Barbara could tell he was worried even if he hid it with his usual harsh commentary. 

 

“So, when were you gonna tell me?” Barbara asked seemingly out of the blue. Tim paled immediately, like he was dreading what she could possibly mean.

 

“Tell you what?” He didn't like her response.

 

“That you like Jason, dingus. What else would I mean in this given situation?” Tim's eyes widened. His heart raced like it would burst out his chest any second.

 

“I don't like Jason, not like that,” he said unconvincingly. Barbara wasn't buying it. 

 

“Tim, I know that look. That's the way I used to look at Dick while he was off on patrol.” She wheeled her wheelchair away from the console, leaving Kara to deal with Jason. “You're worried about him. I can tell. You're hiding it behind all your snark. Been there, done that.”

 

Tim stayed at the console and stared at the map. He listened to Barbara's every word, realizing how true they were. And honestly, it scared him. She could read him so easily. How long had she known?

 

“And if you're right? I can't exactly tell Jason with how hellbent he is on killing Damian.” Jason's focus was elsewhere. Springing this on him wouldn't do Tim any good. 

 

“Maybe you can. It could be the thing that changes his mind, and maybe even sway his heart a bit.”

  
As cheesy as that sounded, she had a point. Tim sensed that she was gone, and he was left alone, still staring at the blinking dot that was Jason.


	5. Stand down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually gave this one a normal title. Is it better than using song titles?

Finding Jason was easy. Reasoning with him proved to be far more difficult. The guy was definitely headstrong and determined. Kara stopped in front of Jason who was running from rooftop to rooftop. She hovered before him and assumed an assertive stance.

“Jason, you need to stop this. Someone's going to get hurt if you don’t.” He instinctively reached for his gun, but it seems he stopped and thought first. Jason knew very well that bullets were no match for a Kryptonian. They would merely be deflected by her skin. She wasn't called the Girl of Steel for nothing.

Jason crossed his arms, trying to look equally assertive and displeased. “Yeah, Damian's gonna get hurt. That's kinda the whole point if you hadn't noticed.” Underneath the helmet, Jason was glaring harshly at her, she could tell. One of the perks of having x-ray vision. “So if I were you, I'd get on out of here before you're added to the list.” 

Kara wasn't the least bit thrown off by his threat. She was actually getting kind of agitated with Jason's attitude. “Killing Damian is not the answer. Jason, everyone else has moved on already. Why can't you?” That really seemed to throw him off. 

“It seems as though everyone else has moved on too fast. Dick deserves to be avenged. I'm choosing to be better than Batman this way.” He pulled out his gun, pulled out the clip, and replaced all the bullets inside. “When I died, Batman didn't kill that demented clown, and it tore me apart. He didn't care, but I do.” He aimed the gun at Kara and said in a more bitter tone, “And if anyone stands in my way, they're going down, too.” He fired the gun, but Kara didn't move. It would just ricochet off of her.

Except it didn't. The second the bullet touch her skin, it shot straight through her shoulder. She gasped in pain and fell to her knees when he shot another one at her leg. “I don't wanna kill you, Kara. This is your last warning.”

“H-How did you-” Kara was in too much pain to finish her sentence. She grimaced and tried to put pressure on the wounds. Her vision was getting blurry, and Jason's voice was starting to muffle. He sounded like he was underwater by now. 

“Kryptonite bullets. I had some made when I left the regime.” Jason holstered the gun and stepped over Kara. “Don't worry, you won't die. Maybe.” And then he was gone.

Kara screamed out as she lay on the rooftop, blood spilling onto the stone. She didn't have the strength to move. Black was all she could see know. She blacked out.

When Kara finally came to, she was back in the Clock Tower. Her body was left on a table in the middle of the room. She tried to sit up, but found that it only made her head throb intensely.

Her powers were dulled, but still there she could tell. She seemed to be recovering just fine.

“You shouldn't get up just yet. That kryptonite is still wearing off.” Barbara stopped her wheelchair beside the table. “You took quite a hit there.”

“Yeah? Well, Jason's smart, I'll give him that.” She recalled her encounter with him just earlier. “You got someone else after him?”

Barbara nodded. “Tim volunteered. He’s determined to be a bit harsher this time.” Kara sighed in relief. At least everything was being down to intercept Jason's attack. “He left a while ago. Hopefully he'll be reporting back soon.” How long had she been out if Tim left a while ago?

“How long have I been out?” She shifted her body to lay on her side and face Barbara.

“An hour at best. Jon found you and brought you back here.” Kara's eyes widened. Jon found her? Knowing him, he was probably out there try to stop Jason, too.

“Please tell me he's not fighting Jason. He won't stand a chance if kryptonite is added to the equation.” She would hate herself if Jon got hurt trying to help.

Barbara shook her head. “He wanted to, but I ordered him to stay put. He wasn't very happy about that.” That sounded like Jon. He was always trying to help, even if he could get severely injured. Luckily, he wasn't one to disobey Barbara. He knew better. 

“Oracle, you there? I have an unconscious, probably very pissed off Jason.” Kara recognized that as being Tim's voice. Barbara wheeled over to the console to respond.

“Good job, Red Robin. Bring him back, and we'll have a chat with him.”

“Actually, do you think I could take this? I need a few words with him.” Barbara seemingly laughed at the question.

“If you doing what I think you're doing, then by all means.” It sounded like Tim was stuttering, trying to answer back calmly but failing.

“No, I'm not! Not yet. I just...need to ask Jason some things, okay?” Barbara shrugged it off and gave him the okay. She reassumed her position next to Kara, who still couldn't get up without an extreme feeling of vertigo. 

“What was that all about?” she asked her red-headed friend. Tim seemed especially flustered at whatever she'd been suggesting.

“Tim's just having boy problems. You know how that goes.” Kara definitely understood that. She laughed, which kinda hurt actually.

“You mean with Jason. Boy, that must be complicated.” She felt bad for Tim. He now had to interrogate the guy he was crushing on, which probably wasn't a comfortable situation for the guy. 

“Yeah, no kidding. I'm hoping maybe he'll confess or something, but that doesn't seem likely. He might set Jason straight anyhow. I happen to know that a certain hot head likes Tim back. He'll get through to Jason eventually. It might just take some more convincing,” she said with a wink.

They laughed until they could barely breathe. “I hope so. Otherwise I have something else extremely convincing.” Kara held up her fist.

“Hopefully, it doesn't come to that again.”


End file.
